Romanian orphan studies: AO3

• Strength: Real-world application

  What? Helps improve conditions for children outside their family home

  Who? Prevent worst effects; improvements to conditions + institutional care seen as undesirable

  Why? Institution children have a chance to develop normal attachments
• Strength: Fewer of confounding variables

  What? Lack of confounding variables

  Who? Children handed over by loving parents

  Why? Results unlikely to be confounded by other negative experiences (high internal validity)
• Counterpoint: Fewer confounding variables

  What? Different confounding variables

  Who? Little intellectual stimulation/comfort

  Why? Harmful effects may represent poor institutional care, not institutional care
• Limitation: Lack of adult data

  What? Lack of data on adult development

  Who? Recent data = early to mid 20s - cannot see long-term effects (will take time as is longitudinal study)

  Why? Unable to see long-term effects yet